The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were noted for an extremely unusual two bass player line up. Bass player Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat cheslin played the regular basslines on the other. This gave the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound with distorted indie guitars and complicated Baggy drum beats. The band were also noted for their extremely young ages. The band formed while at sixth form college, and recorded their first album while still teenagers. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving and moshing at their gigs. The band were also noted (and sometimes ridiculed) for their early image which consisted of uniformly crimped hair, short trousers and t shirts. The Neds (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their T shirts and produced over 80 different designs within three years.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being noticed by local superstars The Wonder Stuff and offered a support slot on a UK tour. A top 50 hit Kill Your Television followed. They recorded their debut album God Fodder shortly afterwards and had top ten hits with "Until You Find Out" and "Happy" in 1991. Several years of hard working touring followed, playing with, amongst others Mega City Four, Senseless Things and Jesus Jones. During this period they recorded their second album Are You Normal in 1992, which was promoted by the singles Not Sleeping Around and Intact.
The band spent the next few years on a worldwide tour before recording their final album Brainbloodvolume. The album had a more adult sound than before (because they were, after all, no longer teenagers), together with a more diverse sound including samplers and keyboards. Their record label released the album in America before the UK, so most fans bought in on import leading to a poor UK chart position when it was eventually released leading to tensions within the band and with the label. The poor chart showing may have also been to do with a changed music scene now fully in the swing of Britpop. The band had one last UK top 40 single with All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together in 1995 following an appearance on The Word. The band split in 1995. Singer Jonn Penney formed a new band, Groundswell who had little success.
The band reformed with a different line up in 2000, for a show in Dudley. The show was a success and the band have done a christmas show every year since then, including a four date tour in 2004 where the band performed several new songs. In 2005 they again played a few late-December gigs, and in June of 2006 their first new single in 11 years, "Hibernation" was released reaching No 23 in the UK Indie Chart. The "NedFest" weekend gigs to coincide with this at Birmingingham Barfly and London Forum were filmed for a DVD "Neds Dont Exist".
In June 2007 the DVD was released and Neds returned to headline the Glastonbury Left Field Stage on the Friday night of the festival following some low key warm up gigs.
On 12 May 2008 the band announced that the original line-up of Jonn, Rat, Mat, Alex, and Dan would be performing live together for the first time since 1995 on 6 December 2008 at the Astoria London.
Stuck
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the center of your very being
Have a good time without me
I'm the center of your very being
If stuck is what you say
Well, that is what you've made
Stuck is what you say
Enough to make your day
Is it too much or is it too safe?
Enough is what you say then
Stuck is what you've made
Take it back, you astound me
Don't recall us ever being without this
Take it back, you astound me
Don't recall us ever being without this
The song "Stuck" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin is about a relationship where one person is feeling stuck while the other is moving on. The first two lines of the song are "Have a good time without me, I'm the center of your very being", which can be interpreted as the person feeling like they are essential to their partner's happiness but they are being left behind. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Stuck is what you say, well, that is what you've made" which suggests that the person is feeling trapped and unable to move forward because of their partner's actions.
The next verse includes the line "Enough to make your day, is it too much or is it too safe?" which could be interpreted as the person feeling like they are putting too much effort into the relationship while their partner is not reciprocating. The final verse includes the line "Take it back, you astound me, don't recall us ever being without this" which implies that the relationship has been a long one and the person is feeling like they are losing something that has been a part of their life for a long time.
Overall, the song is about the struggle of letting go of a relationship where one person feels stuck while the other person is moving on. It's a relatable theme that many people have experienced at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Have a good time without me
I feel like you don't need me or care about me, so go have fun without me.
I'm the center of your very being
I feel like I'm not important to you, but I know that I'm the most significant thing in your life.
If stuck is what you say
You claim that we're 'stuck' in this relationship, but I think that's just an excuse for your lack of effort.
Well, that is what you've made
Our relationship may feel stagnant, but it's only because you haven't been putting in the effort to make it better.
Enough to make your day
I wonder if the little effort I put into our relationship is enough for you to be happy.
Is it too much or is it too safe?
I don't know if the small amount of effort I put in is too much for you, or if I'm just playing it too safe by not doing more.
Enough is what you say then
You tell me that the little effort I put in is enough, but I'm not sure if you really mean it.
Stuck is what you've made
Our relationship may feel stagnant, but it's only because you haven't been putting in the effort to make it better.
Take it back, you astound me
I'm surprised by your claim that we're 'stuck' in our relationship, and I want you to take it back.
Don't recall us ever being without this
I don't remember a time when our relationship didn't feel stagnant, but I don't want to give up on it.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: ALEXANDER THOMAS GRIFFIN, DANIEL CHARLES WORTON, GARETH JOHN PRING, JOHNATHAN PENNEY, MATTHEW RICHARD CHESLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Treff Bennett
Should be required listening-hauntingly beautiful by one hell of an underrated band!
Eric Smith
0 lol ok, sâgc
D Edman
Came into this album late, and it’s grown into my favorite from this superb group.
Andrew Malenda
This is incredible. I’m embarrassed for giving up on them back in the day.
Ben Dillon
Such a great song. Love Neds…
Nathan Hammond
Dunno. I think BBV was a good departure for them. Lp by lp they evolved their sound into an even more intelligent sophisto-punk feel. The lyrics have ALWAYS been cerebral, the basses badass. They just have a unique soundscape, unmatched. Some of their material is quite DARK, yet thoughtful. I will always dig them. Tons o' angst!😁
Ian Aitken
A million times better than anything now just so far ahead...x
Spirit Of The Ocean & Hearts Of Nature
Here in 2022 and it brings me back-thanks guys !
Jamie The don
I used to jump out of planes to this on full blast
Isaac Sanchez
🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽